THE DEMISE OF NOMIS

In business, having a good idea isn’t a guarantee of success. Being forward thinking, innovative and creative are all great qualities, but in the end, it all comes down to the bottom line.

So it’s with a tinge of sadness that Footy Boots can confirm that Nomis, as a worldwide entity, has gone under, a fact that was confirmed to us in the last 24 hours.

Rumours of the company’s demise started to surface in mid-November when the Nomis distributor in New Zealand announced a closing down sale.

As news spread that some staff at their Head Office in Switzerland had been made redundant, the Nomis page on Wikipedia was updated to read:

Nomis is no longer in New Zealand, Europe or the United Kingdom. Unfortunately the company has recently gone bankrupt.

As of now, the company websites in Germany and the UK no longer work although nomisfootball.com is still functioning although there is no reference on it as to their financial plight. In fact, the operation in Australia is still in business and the company says it is looking forward to future opportunities there.

Having fallen foul of the economic climate, it will hit no-one harder than founder Simon Skirrow.

A former big-wig at adidas and co-creator of the original Predator, Skirrow was a visionary in the industry, always seeming to put the punter first. He came up with some ground breaking technology such as ‘Wet Control’ and ‘nomud’ and the company’s expertise with leather and K-leather was right up there with the very best.

This was confirmed when they came out with the NXGEN Spark, the first football boot to take small runs of customised, fully didgitised, hi-resolution designs direct onto a leather surface under the patented Dual Control grip enhancing treatment.

Admittedly, the design in the demo model wasn’t to everyone’s liking but the technology was unique and at that stage looked to point to a rosy future.

My major regret is disappointment for the staff, many of whom put in a great deal of time and effort following the dream.

At Footy Boots, we were always quite big fans of Nomis and their staff as they didn’t just simply follow trends being more concerned with offering quality and value for money. They didn’t sign up big name ambassadors (though that’s a decision that might look a bit sick right now) as Skirrow always wanted to plough as much money in to research and development as opposed to a few players’ pockets.

Hindsight though is a wonderful thing. For nomud you can now read noNomis. And that’s a real shame.

Which nomis boots should I buy? There’s so many of them! I want the one that is solid and strong and durable, just like myself. Or will any one do. I’m assuming the one with the best fit is the glove and the lightest will be the spark?

I want one with dual control and nomud and all the technologies so I can try the technologies. I don’t care about design or weight. I don’t like the look of any of the nomis boots but that isn’t important. If they are good boots that work well then they will be worth the money. WHich one of them is most suitable for me? Dual control, strong and reliable and durable are what I need most.

this is a crying shame, boots of this quality are hard to find. but its the same for any smaller company up against the big guns. unless nomis could have got a few big name wearers. lets hope they sell the tech to someone like umbro, joma or such like.

I think the Government should bail Nomis out! If they can bail corrupt bankers then they can bail out a genuine sports brand which is dedicated tothe consumer. I hope you bounce back Nomis as you certainly saved my feet!

Hey Tony – in truth I’d suggest it is better not to comment too much on a subject that you don’t definitely don’t have all the facts about. There is far more to this than you know and that is all I will say.

Rgds, Darryl

p.s. – Better to be upfront on here rather than using part of your facebook name!!!

Really sad to hear, such good boots, but never got the publicity or recognition they deserved. Poor decision to take them out of most sports shops and sell them only online (can’t get them anywhere in Adelaide). Unfortunately it’s out of sight, out of mind for the customers, they might struggle to stay afloat here in Oz too.

I can say im absolutely gutted by this as NOMIS is the brand to take on the big boys and give something back to the consumer! Myself, having had many injuries due to shit boots have enjoyed the short time wearing a pair of NOMIS at national rugby level, I hope to god their is a solution to get them back in the UK as they are brilliant! Keep fighting team Nomis.

Damn. I bought a pair of Nomis when Simon first came to Australia and started selling his brand from an agent at a game out the back of his car. Those boots have lasted me at least 8 years, and unfortunately, I am looking for a replacement pair. With Nomis out of business, I will need to return to those other brands with K-leather and wide fitments.